Clip



pt. 17, 1940. H. J, UHLMANN 2,215,139

CLIP

Filed April 26, 1939 j Mira HubeA-T d. UHmgnn ii gw Ml UM OW Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to clips for use in suspending paper or the like therefrom, and is particularly adapted for use in the photographic art for purposes of suspending photographic neg- 5 atives therefrom while they are being dried.

The invention disclosed herein differs materially from those clips of the prior art and those which are on the market at the present time in several respects. The invention consists generally in two opposing portions of a spring material wherein the jaws or gripping ends of which normally remain separated. Interengaging means is provided between the Opposing portions for locking the jaws in closed relation by the operator doing nothing more than merely pressing the opposing portions together. Slight pressure on the interengaging means will immediately release the jaws whereupon they will assume their normal open position. This mode of operation distinguishes my invention from those of the prior art in that previous devices which have been on the market are usually of the character which have their gripping ends normally in closed relation, necessitating pressure to open the jaws and then a release of such pressure to permit the jaws to assume their normal gripping position. Still others, although designed to have the gripping ends normally open, require a certain flexing of one of the opposed portions in addition to pressing the portions together to lock them in closed relation. My invention differs from the clips above mentioned mainly in the fact that a mere pressing together of the open ends will lock them in gripping position.

The particular type of clip here disclosed is an improvement over my previously filed application filed March 14, 1938, hearing Serial No. 195,795.

It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a clip which may be easily and economically manufactured by stamping a single strip of springsheet metal.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a clip, the gripping jaws of which are normally separated, but which will become automatically locked in a gripping position by merely pressing the jaws together.

A still further object of the invention is to provide interengaging means between thejaws to lock them in closed position, which will at the same time prevent the insertion of the material to be suspended therefrom beyond a certain limit.

Still another object is to provide means to limit the movement of the jaws toward each other in order to prevent the teeth of one jaw from being forced through openings in the opposing jaw beyond the plane thereof to prevent the operator from being inadvertently pricked by the sharp ends of said teeth.

Other objects and purposes will appear as description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and following description set forth in detail certain means for carrying out my invention, said means constituting, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing wherein like reference the numerals refer to like parts throughout the various Views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my clip in its closed or operating position.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my clip.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 4 is a bottom end elevation showing the jaws in their gripping position.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the clip showing the jaws in closed relation.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 5 but showing the jaws in their normal or open position, and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary View similar to Fig. 5 but showing a slight modification of the interengaging means used to lock the opposing portions in closed position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, after the single strip of spring sheet metal has been stamped and folded at the proper point along the length thereof, the result is two opposing portions. The front portion is designated at I and the rear portion at 2. Out of the front portion is stamped the hook member 3 which extends upwardly from the upper edge of the clip for the purpose of suspending it from any suitable means.

The lower end of the front portion 1 terminates in a curved section 4 which has integral therewith and extending inwardly toward the rear portion a plurality of teeth 5. Opposing these teeth near the lower end of the rear portion 2 is a plurality of openings 6 which preferably are provided with raised portions or shoulders surrounding them as at l. The teeth 5 are preferably formed as clearly shown in Fig. 4 where they are disclosed as having shoulders 8 and terminating in the sharp points 9. When the jaws are pressed together, the points 9 of the teeth 5 enter the openings 6 and, in the absence of any limiting points.

means, sufiicient pressure might be applied so that the point 9 would extend beyond the plane of the back portion 2 which could easily result in fingers of the operator being pricked by the sharp But to prevent this undesirable result the shoulders I surrounding the openings 6 and the shoulders 8 on the teeth 5 abut against each other when the jaws are closed and prevent the points 9 from extending an undesirable distance through the openings 6. It is to be understood that the teeth 5 and the openings 6 may assume other shapes than the ones disclosed without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention, the disclosed configurations merely being described by way of illustration.

In the front portion I an opening Ill is provided and integral with the back portion 2 and extending toward said opening IE3 is a tongue II which extends upwardly at an angle and is curved back or return-bent to form the portion 12 which terminates at a point substantially midway between the two ends of the portion H. The tongue H with its return-bent portion l2 cooperates with the opening it when the jaws are in closed position acting as releasable interengaging means to hold the jaws in said closed position.

From the position of the clip as shown in Fig. 6, if the two portions are merely pressed together the lower edge of the opening ill will contact the portion 12 on the tongue and force it upwardly a short distance until the shoulders 8 and 1 engage against each other. At this point the lower edge of the opening it will have moved beyond the edge of the return-bent portion 12 whereupon the tongue will again spring downwardly to its normal position engaging the edge thereof against the outer face of the front portion l adjacent the lower edge of the opening if] thereby holding the opposing portions or jaws in closed relation. Obviously to release the jaws it is merely necessary to exert a slight pressure upwardly on the tongue H so that the edge of the portion i2 will be above the lower edge of the opening H3 whereupon the front portion i will immediately spring open and assume its normal outward position as shown in Fig. 6.

As above stated, the tongue H together with its return-bent portion i2 is struck from: the rear portion 2 leaving an opening therein as at 13 inv Fig. 3.

Although it forms no specific part of the pres-. ent invention, it is desirable to form ribs in the clip such as at M in the front portion, I 5 in the rear portion and H5 in the hook member for the purpose of adding strength and rigidity thereto.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 7 the tongue Ha is curved downwardly as at H to form: a hook portion therein. The lower end of this hook portion is then. curved upwardly and outwardly as at it which portion may be utilized for pressing the tongue upwardly in releasing the jaws from their gripping or closed position.

It is highly desirable to provide some means in a clip of this nature to prevent the insertion of-a negative or other material between the jaws beyond a predetermined point. If the teeth engage a portion of the negative beyond the margin, it may be detrimental to the photograph and in my present device, by the very nature of its novel construction, no additional means are necessary for this purpose. The tongue H, by reason of the fact that it extends between the two opposing portions, will prevent a negative or similar article from being inserted between the jaws beyond a desired predetermined point.

It will therefore be seen that my novel construction permits the jaws to be locked in a closed or gripping position by merely pressing the two opposing portions together. Obviously no other pressure or manipulations are necessary. The ease and simplicity with which it may be operated is still further brought out by the fact that merely an upward pressure on the tongue is sufficient to release the jaws from closed position.

I have found the device to be highly efficient as well as economical to manufacture.

Other modes of applying the principle of my.

invention may be used instead of the one here explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed provided, however, that the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim, as my invention:

1. A clip comprising front and rear opposing portions adapted to normally remain apart, the front portion having edge portions therein to define an opening, a lateral bead immediately below said opening curved outwardly and again inwardly and terminating in a plurality of rearwardly extending teeth, a flexible tongue extending transversely from the rear portion adapted to be received in said opening, a latching member on said tongue arranged in thepath of an edge portion of said opening and extending beyond said edge portion when the front and rear portions are pressed together to maintain them in closed relation, and openings near the lower edge of said rear portion to receive said teeth.

2. A clip comprising front and rear opposing portions adapted to normally remain apart, edge portions in said front portion defining an opening therein, and releasable latching means to,

maintain said opposing portions in closed relation upon pressing them together including, a

flexible tongue extending transversely from said rear portion, and a latching member on said tongue arranged in the path of an edge of said opening and extending beyond the edges of said opening when said opposing portions are latched together, whereby a manual pressure thereon will permit said portions to open.

3. The combination of elements defined in claim 2, wherein said latching member consti tutes a return bend in said tongue.

4. The combination of elements defined in" claim. 2, wherein said latching member constitutes a return bend in said tongue extending back substantially half the length thereof.

HUBERT J. UHLMANN. 

